THREE people perished in an hour-long fire that hit a closely built community in Isabela City, Basilan province, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said Monday, December 9, 2024.
The fire broke out around 5 a.m. Monday, December 9, in Kaumpurnah Zone 1 village, Isabela City, the capital of Basilan province.
The BFP-Isabela City identified the fatalities as Alnajer Cabato, 54, his wife, Hadjira, and daughter Jehana, 17.
Investigation showed the fire started at the ground floor of the victims' house and rapidly spread, destroying two business establishments and two houses.
The fatalities were trapped since they were sleeping at the second floor of their two-story house. The ground floor serves as a store, owned by the victims.
The BFP said the remains of the fatalities were retrieved after sunrise and were buried in accordance to the Islam tradition.
The BFP said they have yet to assess the value of properties that were damaged during the incident.
Also, the BFP-Isabela City has yet to ascertain as to the cause of the fire. Fire out was declared around 6 a.m. (SunStar Zamboanga)